Luke 9:37

And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(37) And it came to pass.—See Notes on Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-29. St. Luke’s omission of the question and the teaching as to the coming of Elijah given by the other two Gospels is noticeable. There was no expectation of that coming among the Gentiles for whom he wrote. It was not necessary to correct that impression, or even to bring the difficulties which it suggested before their minds.

Much people.—Better, a great multitude.

Benson Commentary

Luke 9:37-45. For a full elucidation of these verses, see notes on Matthew 17:14-23; and Mark 9:14-29. Let these sayings sink down into your ears — That is, consider them deeply; in joy remember the cross. So wisely does our Lord balance praise with sufferings.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:37-42 How deplorable the case of this child! He was under the power of an evil spirit. Disease of that nature are more frightful than such as arise merely from natural causes. What mischief Satan does where he gets possession! But happy those that have access to Christ! He can do that for us which his disciples cannot. A word from Christ healed the child; and when our children recover from sickness, it is comfortable to receive them as healed by the hand of Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the Matthew 17:14-21 notes, and Mark 9:14-29 notes.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Lu 9:37-45. Demoniac and Lunatic Boy Healed—Christ's Second Explicit Announcement of his Death and Resurrection.

(See on [1613]Mr 9:14-32.)

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 37-45. See Poole on "Matthew 17:14", and following verses to Matthew 17:21. See Poole on "Mark 9:14", and following verses to Mark 9:29. Of the people’s astonishment and amazement at the sight of Christ’s miracles, we often hear much; of their embracing him as their Saviour, and owning him as the Christ, we read little. Thus far many of them were come, indeed the most, (the Scribes, and Pharisees, and Sadducees only excepted), that they believed Christ was a great Prophet, a man sent of God; authorized by God to reveal his will, and empowered from God to do many things, which none but God had originally a power to do. Others were gone a step further, viz. to believe not only that he was a Prophet, but that Prophet foretold by Moses, Deu 18:15 John 1:21,45; the Christ of God, as Peter expressed it, he that should redeem Israel, Luke 24:21. That they had not a true notion of the Messias, either as to his person, that the Divine and human nature were united in his person, or as to his work, that it was not to redeem Israel from their bodily servitude, but from their sins only, will appear to any from the whole history of the gospel. Nor indeed doth our Saviour hasten their faith in this revelation, I mean the perfecting and confirming of it, knowing that it would be a great shaking to their faith in him, in this notion, and indeed as the Messias, to see him so shamefully abused by the vilest abjects of the people, (as he was at his passion), and then hanging upon the cross, and dying, until they should also see him by his own power risen from the dead, and be confirmed concerning the truth of his resurrection. Where therefore he saw this seed of precious faith springing up, as it did in Peter and divers others, who it is plain apprehended him more than man, as he did not discourage nor blame it, but highly commended it; so neither did he please to strengthen it, so as to put them out of all doubt about it, and often charged them not to publish it abroad, and bends himself to prepare them against this great obstacle, which he saw would be in their way, to wit, his sufferings. This is the second time now that in this chapter we find him inculcating it. And there was need of it, for the evangelist telleth us that

they understood it not, it was hidden from them. They could easily understand how an ordinary prophet might be delivered into the hands of men, but how the Messias, the Christ, that Prophet, he of whom some of them believed that he was more than a mere man, how he should be thus delivered, thus suffer, they could not understand; and they saw Christ as to this point so reserved and private, and forbidding the publication of it, that they feared to be too particular with him about it.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And it came to pass, that on the next day,.... For Jesus and his disciples staid all night on the mountain:

when they were come down from the hill; to the bottom of it:

much people met him. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions read, "met them".

Geneva Study Bible

{7} And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

(7) Nothing offends Christ as much as incredulity, although he bears with it for a time.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Luke 9:37-45. See on Matthew 17:14-23; Mark 9:14-32, the latter of which Luke follows on the whole, but abbreviating.

τῇ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ] According to Luke, the transfiguration took place at night, Luke 9:32.

Luke 9:38. ἐπιβλέψαι] to look upon, with helpful pity to cast eyes upon. Comp. Luke 1:48; Sir 33:1; Tob 3:3; Tob 3:15; Jdt 13:4. See the critical remarks. The middle voice does not occur. μονογενής in this passage, as at Luke 8:42, is found only in Luke.

Luke 9:39. κράζει] does not refer to the demon (Bornemann), but to the son, since καὶ ἐξαίφνης introduces the result which is brought about in the possessed one by the πνεῦμα λαμβάνει αὐτόν. The sudden change of the subjects is the less surprising when we take into account the rapid impassioned delineation. See Winer, p. 556 [E. T. 787], and Schoemann, ad Is. p. 294 f.

μόγις] hardly, with trouble and danger; used only here in the New Testament.

συντρίβον αὐτόν] whilst he bruises him (even still—as he yields). Conceive of a paroxysm in which the demoniac ferociously beats and knocks and throws himself down. This literal meaning of συντρ. is, on account of the vivid description in the context, to be preferred to the figurative meaning—frets, wears away (Kypke, Kuinoel, Bornemann, Ewald), although Mark has ξηραίνεται, in another collocation, however.

Luke 9:42. ἔτι δὲ προσερχ. αὐτοῦ] but as he was still coming—not yet altogether fully come up.

ἔῤῥηξεν … συνεσπάραξεν] a climax describing the convulsive action, he tore him, and convulsed him (comp. σπαραγμός, cramp).

ἰάσατο τ. π.] namely, by the expulsion of the demon.

ἐπὶ τ. μεγαλειότ. τ. Θεοῦ] at the majesty (Josephus, Antt. Prooem. p. 5; Athen. iv. p. 130 F) of God. Ὤιοντο γὰρ, οὐκ ἐξ ἰδίας δυνάμεως, ἀλλʼ ἐκ Θεοῦ ταῦτα τερατουργεῖν αὐτόν, Euthymius Zigabenus.

ἐποίει] Imperfect (see the critical remarks). Their wonder was excited by the miracles of Jesus as a whole, among which was to be reckoned also that special case.

Luke 9:44. θέσθε ὑμεῖς κ.τ.λ.] Place ye, on your part, etc. The disciples were to continue mindful of this expression of amazement (τοὺς λόγους τούτους) on account of the contrast (ὁ γὰρ υἱὸς κ.τ.λ.) in which his own destiny would soon appear therewith. They were therefore to build no hopes thereupon, but only thence to recognise the mobile vulgus! Bornemann, de Wette, Schegg refer τ. λόγ. τούτ. to ὁ γὰρ υἱὸς κ.τ.λ., so that γάρ would be explanatory (to wit). So already Erasmus. But the above reference of the plural τοὺς λ. τούτ. most readily suggests itself according to the context; since, on the one hand, πάντων δὲ θαυμαζόντων preceded (comp. subsequently the singular τὸ ῥῆμα, Luke 9:45); and, on the other, the argumentative use of γάρ seems the most simple and natural.

εἰς χεῖρ. ἀνθρώπ.] into the, hands of men, He, who has just been marvelled at as the manifestation of the majesty of God.

Luke 9:45. ἵνα] purely a particle of purpose, expressing the object of the divine decree.

αἴσθωνται] that they should not become aware of it. The idea of the divine decree is that their spiritual perception through the internal αἰσθητήρια (Hebrews 5:14), their intellectual αἴσθησις (Php 1:9), was not to attain to the meaning of the saying. The verb occurs only here in the New Testament.

καὶ ἐφοβοῦντο κ.τ.λ. See on Mark 9:32.

The whole description of this failure to understand is only a superficial expansion of Mark 9:32, and not an intentional depreciation of the Twelve in the Pauline interest (Baur, Hilgenfeld).

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 9:37-43 a. The epileptic boy (Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-29).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

37-48. The Demoniac Boy. The Lesson of Meekness.

37. on the next day] Proving that the Transfiguration took place at night: see on Luke 9:28.

much people met him] St Mark records their “amazement” at seeing Him—perhaps due to some lingering radiance and majesty which clung to Him after the Transfiguration. (Comp. Exodus 34:30.) They had been surrounding a group of the scribes, who were taunting the disciples with their failure to cure the lunatic boy.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 37-45. - The scene at the foot of the hill of Transfiguration. The healing of the demoniac boy. Verse 37. - On the next day, when they were come down from the hill. The Transfiguration had taken place in the late evening or night. It probably lasted for a much longer period than the brief account, preserved by the eye-witnesses, seems to speak cf. How long the three disciples slept is not mentioned. Wearied and exhausted, deep slumber overtook them while the Master was praying. When they awoke, Jesus was bathed in glory, and the two heavenly spirits were conversing with him. They only tell us generally that the subject which occupied the blessed ones was their Master's speedy departure from earth; no mention is made of the time all this consumed. It was morning when they rejoined their company. Much people met him. St. Mark, whose account here is more detailed - evidently Peter preserved a very vivid memory of these events - tells us that the crowds, "when they beheld him, were greatly amazed." Without concluding that any lingering radiance of the last night's glory was still playing about his Person, we may well imagine that a holy joy just then lit up that face over which for some time past a cloud of deep sadness had brooded. The heavenly visitants; the words he had been listening to, which told him of his home of grandeur and of peace, voluntarily left by him that he might work his mighty earthwork; - had no doubt strengthened with a strange strength the Man of sorrows; and when the crowds gazed on his face they marvelled, as St. Mark tells us, at what they saw there. Luke 9:37

Vincent's Word Studies

Come down (κατελθόντων)

Very frequent in Luke, and only once elsewhere: James 3:15.